Pros and Cons of Sex Offender Registration Laws

Pros and Cons of Sex Offender Registration Laws Criminal recidivism poses a serious risk to public safety. In the middle 1990s, the United States passed a series of laws to deal with the sex offender threat to the public. The legislative solution for the problem of sex offenders was found in sex offender registration and notification laws. This legislation stemmed from a series of highly publicized incidents where the offender had prior record of committing sexual offenses and where the crimes often resulted in a murder of a child in addition to the sex offense. Today, these same laws punish all sex offenders, without regards to the nature or circumstances surrounding the crime. Sex offender laws should be modified to fit the nature of the crime. Criminal recidivism poses a serious risk to public safety. In the middle 1990s, the United States passed a series of laws to deal with the sex offender threat to the public. The legislative solution for the problem of sex offenders was found in sex offender registration and notification laws. This legislation stemmed from a series of highly publicized incidents where the offender had prior record of committing sexual offenses and where the crimes often resulted in a murder of a child in addition to the sex offense. Today, these same laws punish all sex offenders, without regards to the nature or circumstances surrounding the crime. Sex offender laws should be modified to fit the nature of the crime. Sex offender laws, originally, were designed to protect the children of a community. Harsher sex offender laws must surely protect children more effectively; unfortunately, this is neither accurate nor constitutional. It is inaccurate for its reliance on unproven recidivism statistics and false claims of security, and unconstitutional for its excessive and punitive effect. The Jacob Wetterling Crimes against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act of 1994 formalized the practice of registering sex offenders in centralized databases. It was Megans Law, however, that is credited with making the information on sex offender registries accessible to the public. Both of these laws stemmed from sex crimes against children, which resulted in the death of the child. Today, the same laws govern sex offenders, regardless of if their crimes involved a child or resulted in the death of the victim. Some registered sex offenders crimes did not actually involve the act of sex. The face of registration includes Dean Edgar Weisart, who was convicted of indecent exposure for skinny-dipping with his girlfriend in a hotel pool in 1979 and then required to register more than twenty years later. It contemplates offenders such as Ricky Blackmun, whose family moved to Oklahoma from Iowa for a fresh start after Ricky was convicted as an adult sex offender for having sex with a thirteen-year-old girl when he was sixteen. Even though Rickys record was expunged in Iowa, he was required to register as a tier III sex offender- the highest level- in Oklahoma until a change in law terminated his duty to register. Registration rolls are also populated by children- adjudicated juvenile offenders who, despite their ages, face the same burdensome registration requirements for certain offenses, as do convicted adults. The face of registration also compromises offenders displaced from their homes because of onerous residency restrictions. (Berlin v. Evans, 923). In South Florida, numerous convicted offenders live under the Julia Tuttle Causeway, a large bridge, because there is no community in South Florida where they may reside without violating residency restrictions (Skipp 2010). In Georgia, Anthony Mann, a registered sex offender was prohibited from entering the restaurant he half owned and ran because child-care facilities located themselves within 1000 feet of Manns business. Society has long detested sex offenders, a group which has traditionally been considered to be among the most heinous and repulsive of all criminals as evident by historically harsh treatment and their subjectivity to severe sentencing laws (Quinn et al. 2004). Recent responses have included publicly accessible sex offender registries developed under the guise of increasing community awareness of sex offenders. Sex offender registries and notification procedures were also created with the intent of promoting public shaming and societal ostracism (Blair 2004). Quinn and colleagues (2004) describe this shaming or branding as a mechanism used by society to control deviance throughout history. In short, shaming is useful for establishing and publicizing boundaries between persons and groups. Registries and notification procedures are not without problems, however, and have been deemed to be a flawed strategy for controlling sex crime (Presser and Gunnison 1999, p. 311). One of the major tenets of sex offender registration and notification laws is the idea that sex offenders are more likely to recidivate than other types of offenders. This is also one of the biggest myths about sex offenders according to the Center for Sex Offender Management (2001). From a review of sex offender recidivism studies, Sample (2001, 106) argued that because of methodological difficulties, differences in sample size, and variability in follow-up lengths, most studies report inconsistent levels of reoffending among sexual offenders. Hanson and Bussiere (1998) conducted a meta-analysis of studies on sex offender recidivism. From an international sample of 87 research projects (representing 28,972 sex offenders), the average recidivism rate for sex offenses was only 13.4%, while the average recidivism rate for any offense was 36.3%. Findings on offender characteristics showed that only age and marital status predicted sex offense recidivism. This was particularly true if the offender had prior sexual offenses, victimized strangers, had an extrafamilial victim, began offending at an early age, had a male victim, or had engaged in diverse sexual crimes. Sex offenders who committed new crimes that are non-sexual in nature were those most likely to have used force against their victims and less likely to have chosen child victims. Hanson and Bussiere (1998, 357) argued that their findings contradict the popular view that sexual offenders inevitably reoffend . . . even in studies with thorough search and long follow-up periods the recidivism rate almost never exceed 40%. History has shown that a collective response to a national problem concerning safety and security does not necessarily make it the right one. Todays sec offender registry laws are no longer rationally connected to their regulatory purpose, more driven to appease a fearful public, legislation has been transformed into excessive criminal penalties. It is time to provide meaningful guidance on the parameters that will support the states interest in keeping their communities safe while providing constitutional protections to offenders. References Wright, R. G. (2009). Sex offender laws:  failed policies, new directions. New York:  Springer Pub.. Zott, L. M. (2008). Sex offenders and  public policy. Detroit: Greenhaven Press. Tofte, S., Fellner, J. (2007). No easy  answers: sex offender laws in the US.  New York: Human Rights Watch. Laws, D. R. Hudson, S. M. (2000).  Remaking Relapse Prevention with Sex  Offenders A Sourcebook.. Thousand  Oaks: SAGE Publications. Ewing, C. P. (2011). Justice perverted:  sex offender law, psychology, and public  policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Blair, M. (2004). Wisconsins Sex Offender  Registration and Notification Laws: Has  the Wisconsin Legislature Left the Criminals  and the Constitution Behind? Marquette Law  Review 87(5):939-981. Quinn, J., C. Forsyth, and C. Mullen-Quinn. (2004).  Societal Reaction to Sex Offenders: A Review of  the Origins and Results of the Myths Surrounding  their Crimes and Treatment Amenability.  Deviant Behavior 4(3):215 -233.

Analyse the significance of passion Essay

In the tragedy Romeo and Juliet there are many forms to passion; these references are made in a variety of ways, ranging from parental passion to the classic loving passion shared between two people. But there is an underlying hint right from the very start that there is an inevitable notion that this love will never happen because of the family feud. At the very start of the book, the chorus introduces the heated feud between the Montague and Capulet households. This feud has spanned a long time and is an ‘ancient grudge’ that has continued throughout the family, from the parents to the children and even into the servants of the households. The word ‘two’ is used, frequently, not just to refer to Romeo and Juliet but to show the obstacles they face to show the opposites as rivals and not just families. We see rivalry induced by the feud where servants from the two houses meet in the town of Verona. When Sampson and Gregory, servants of the Capulet household meet and clash with Abram and Balthasar, of the Montague household, the rivalry is shown from the outset, ‘ My naked weapon is out. Quarrel, I will back thee’. This is in the first meeting of the servants, where Sampson explains he will back Gregory if he happens to get into a fight, and surely enough, they do get into a fight, household against household which is then broken up by Benvolio, ‘Put up your swords, you know what to do’. When he says this, it brings the realisation that they are in public, but the hot headed Tybalt does not agree and wants to fight. He says, ‘Peace? I hate the word’ and they fight again. This is only then broken up by the officers, and Prince, even though the heads of the families arrive and actually want to fight each other themselves! ‘Give me my long sword, ho! ‘ this is Capulet speaking to his wife, asking for his sword, but this is then stopped by Prince Escales. This starts the notions of the tragic end; it brings them together but also leads them to their deaths. We first meet Romeo, ‘moping’ around feeling sorry for himself, and isolating himself. He is a typical petrachan lover solipsistic, which means feeling sorry for himself and being self absorbed speaking in complex language, using oxy morons , like ‘feather of lead. ‘ obviously an opposite as feathers are very light and not heavy. ‘Cold fire’ and of course fire is not cold! These are used to emphasise Romeo’s feelings at this present time, he is feeling quite confused and discarded because his love is not reciprocated by Rosaline, but he is making sure he feels it and everyone else knows about it. Shakespeare uses a play on words, a translingual pun, when Benvolio uses Romeo walking underneath the sycamore grove. ‘ At first glance this doesn’t look very significant at all but if we read between the lines we find it is a very clever pun, which is used to emphasise Romeo’s feelings. â€Å"Syc†, or ‘sick’ is used to describe his ill state of emotional health, while ‘amour’ is the French word for love, so sycamore, literally means sick of love, and as he feels physically sick as a result of his un-returned love. This is quite ironic as the love is not returned, as he is never going to get her but he thinks that he is and hopes and prays that she will love him back but unfortunately this is never going to happen. On Romeo and Julie’s first meeting there is a lot of passion felt and shown, When Romeo sees Juliet for the first time, he is astounded and taken aback by her beauty, he sees Juliet ‘as a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear’ and he is stunned by her. Their first exchange is filled with religious imagery, Romeo initiates it and Juliet immediately responds to Romeo positively, ‘That I must love a loathed enemy’ this is further on in the passage, after Juliet finds out Romeo is from a different family, but she still shows how she likes him and still wants to see him even though the family feud could, and does get them in a lot of trouble. Juliet is reminding herself that she needs to be a lady but still stays very coy and subtly flirtatious, ‘Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer’. This is when Romeo tries to kiss her and she says this as an attempt to warn him off, and he, as expected, does not take to this and carries on trying to kiss her, and she, quite taken aback by this obliges, and once again remembers she has to be a lady, but as expected succumbs to another kiss from him and has really let her guard down. But she is reminded again to be a lady, by the nurse, as Juliet has to go and meet her mother and speak with her. Romeo realises this love is real later on when they meet again in the evening and he hears her speaking and the famous balcony scene on which he listens to her waiting for him to arrive. The parents of Romeo and Juliet show a lot of passionate emotions and feelings for their children and in the Capulet’s case, for their nephew , Tybalt, the passion is clearly when Tybalt is slain by Romeo. The love and passion that lady Capulet shows for him, by calling for ‘Romeo’s blood’, ‘Romeo must not live’ and is very passionate about the killing of their nephew. The Montague household shows a lot of care for Romeo in one of the only instances we see the Montague’s, when Romeo is in exile, he talks about ‘writing as letter to his father’ which shows a lot of care for them, Juliet’s parents, however are only there to make her marry Paris so they can gain most of the benefit out of it. Instead of making their daughter happy. In contrast, it seems that the Montague parents love their son as the father son bond is strong, whereas the father – daughter or mother – daughter bond in the Capulet household is very weak as the parents do not seem like they want what’s best for their daughter. ‘How, will she none? Doth she not give us thanks? Is she not proud? Doth she not count her blest’ this is the point at which Juliet spells out that she does not want to marry Paris and her parents are very upset, even offended by this and cannot understand why she would not like to make them happy. But there is clearly love shown by both of the sets of parents at the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, ‘and it is mis-sheathed in my daughter’s bosom’ this is when they first see her in the tomb of the Capulet’s and they are distraught at the sight of seeing their own flesh and blood lying dead by her own sword. The prologue and the ‘chorus’ play a huge part in helping the audience understand and foreshadow the tragic events in the play, ‘star cross’d lovers’ it is set out from the start that something is going to go wrong, there are many mentions of fate in the chorus, that the play is always going to end in death for our two heroines and that the marriage could never have worked because something, fate, was always working against them because of this terrible feud that has lasted throughout the family histories. The nurse and the friar play huge parts in the lives of the two children, they make the whole marriage happen by organising everything and help Juliet to get away from her parents, when the friar suggests drinking the vial of fluid that has the potion to make it look as if Juliet is dead and so she would be buried, but unfortunately fate was working against them once again as the letter the friar wrote to Romeo never made it to him so Romeo ended up killing himself because he saw his bride lying ‘dead’ before him. The nurse has been a ‘wet nurse’ to Juliet for as long as Juliet has been alive and she is much closer to Juliet, we know this because Juliet is much less formal when she is around the nurse but very formal around her mother by using ‘thou’ and ‘you’ to indicate formality. Unfortunately in this Tragedy Romeo and Juliet even though they had much help getting together, it is underlined by the curse at the start that because of the family feud it will never last and was always going to end in tragedy.

Discuss the Role of Endogenous Pacemakers and Exogenous Zeitgebers.

There are 3 biological rhythms in the body. Circadian, which is our body clock which works to a 24-hour cycle and regulates our bodies biochemical, physiological and behavioural processes. Ultradian processes, which are smaller processes that happen inside our 24-hour circadian cycle. These Ultradian cycles are the sleep stages lasting 90-120 minutes, however some other ultradian cycles include hormone release, heart rate, nostril dilation and appetite. Lastly there is Infradian which are outside our circadian 24-hour cycle such as the menstrual cycle and hibernation. These cycles are endogenously controlled, however can be tainted or ‘entrained’ to the environment by exogenous factors. Endogenous pacemakers are biological pacemakers inside us that regulate our cycles. An endogenous pacemaker is the Suprachiasmatic nucleus located in the hypothalamus. It is situated directly above the optic chiasm (allowing it to respond to light) and it responsible for controlling circadian rhythms. At the presence of light, it stimulates the pineal gland to release melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that promotes sleep. A higher level of melatonin will promote sleep, and thus a lower level will help us wake up and stay alert. It’s this process that endogenously regulates our circadian sleep-wake cycle. The SCN’s influence on our bodies has been demonstrated in Morgans animal study. He bred ‘mutant’ hamsters with entrained ’20-hour’ circadian rhythms. When their SCN was transplanted into their ‘normal’ hamsters they exhibited the mutant rhythm. This shows the role the SCN plays in our circadian cycles, showing it regulates our sleep patterns and that rhythm entraining is done through the SCN. However, this argument can be deeply flawed. The SCN affects other circadian rhythms such as hormone release and these could affect sleep itself as well as individual differences; therefore it may be deterministic to conclude that the SCN is the regulator of sleep. Methodological issues are thrown into the research also. Is the research ethical justifiable? In my opinion, in groundbreaking findings drawing the link between the SCN and sleep it is justifiable to use rats however rats are not similar to humans and therefore cannot be well generalised.

Roots Journal essays

Roots Journal essays The first chapter of Roots was interesting. It laid down the setting and started with the birth and ceremonial naming of Kunta Kinte. It showed how deeply rooted in ceremony and tradition the Mandinko people were. There is a definite line between the roles and duties of men and women. There is also a definite role for the elders. They use lots of stories for lessons. I like the story about the crocodile and the boy that grandma Yaisa told Kunta when he was little. I thought it was cool that they were Muslim. Everything was very spiritual in their lives. Why do all African men sleep in different huts than the rest of their family? This seemed strange to me and was never explained. I liked how the children respect the elders. The first days that Kunta was out herding goats reminded me of my own uncertainty when I started high school. I thought it was really cool when the fathers gave all the boys of Kuntas kafo their slingshots. I had a slingshot as a toy. For the boys it was for survival. Their entire childhoods were geared toward becoming men and taking care of the village. I liked the way Kunta sometimes daydreamed. It reminded me of myself. I really liked how the relationship between Kunta and his brother Lamin developed. It really changed both of them. It gave Lamin a father figure and it gave Kunta responsibility, and pride and satisfaction. It seemed like in almost every chapter, Binta was pregnant with another child. I kinda liked how Kuntas two uncles were these great heros and adventurers but I wish they were in the story more. They were hardly in the story. It showed how Kunta came from a great family. The father/son trip between Kunta and Omoro was really cool and then later the trip between Kunta and his brother was just the same. It was surprising how far Kuntas determination to please his father and the elders went. It seemed like it ...

Free Essays on Comparative Essay Of The Book And The Film Of Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first in a series of books by J.K Rowling. They follow the adventures of the young wizard, Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione, at Hogwarts – The school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The book was first published in 1997 and the film has been long awaited in coming. I first read Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone in the year it was published and heard about the film adaptation eighteen months ago. Initially, I thought that it would be an impossible feat to capture on screen. The book deals with witchcraft and magic and relys heavily on the imagination of the reader. It is ultimately your own imagination that determines how you judge this book. J.K Rowling’s description of events at Hogwarts school allows the reader to escape into another world. The moment you pick up the book, you are living out every fantasy you had as a child. Was it not everybody’s dream at one time to be told you are a wizard with special powers? Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone introduces us to the young wizard as a baby and explains why he is special in the wizarding world. Harry’s parents were both wizards and attended Hogwarts in their day. But along with all of the benefits of being a wizard, there is a dark side. There is an evil spirit in the wizarding world, called Voldemort, who is intent on destroying all things good for witches and wizards. Harry’s parents were killed in a horrific attack by Voldemort when he was just a year old. Voldemort also tried to kill Harry but was stopped by the baby’s special powers. Harry miraculously survived the attack but was left with a reminder of that fateful day, a scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightening bolt. As a result of being orphaned, Harry is sent to live with his aunt and uncle and their dreadful son Dudley. The Dursley’s are muggles (non-wizards) and despise Harry and his strange ways, until the day he is sent for ... Free Essays on Comparative Essay Of The Book And The Film Of Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone Free Essays on Comparative Essay Of The Book And The Film Of Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first in a series of books by J.K Rowling. They follow the adventures of the young wizard, Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione, at Hogwarts – The school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The book was first published in 1997 and the film has been long awaited in coming. I first read Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone in the year it was published and heard about the film adaptation eighteen months ago. Initially, I thought that it would be an impossible feat to capture on screen. The book deals with witchcraft and magic and relys heavily on the imagination of the reader. It is ultimately your own imagination that determines how you judge this book. J.K Rowling’s description of events at Hogwarts school allows the reader to escape into another world. The moment you pick up the book, you are living out every fantasy you had as a child. Was it not everybody’s dream at one time to be told you are a wizard with special powers? Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone introduces us to the young wizard as a baby and explains why he is special in the wizarding world. Harry’s parents were both wizards and attended Hogwarts in their day. But along with all of the benefits of being a wizard, there is a dark side. There is an evil spirit in the wizarding world, called Voldemort, who is intent on destroying all things good for witches and wizards. Harry’s parents were killed in a horrific attack by Voldemort when he was just a year old. Voldemort also tried to kill Harry but was stopped by the baby’s special powers. Harry miraculously survived the attack but was left with a reminder of that fateful day, a scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightening bolt. As a result of being orphaned, Harry is sent to live with his aunt and uncle and their dreadful son Dudley. The Dursley’s are muggles (non-wizards) and despise Harry and his strange ways, until the day he is sent for ...

Metacognitive Strategies in Solving Mathematical Problems Article

Metacognitive Strategies in Solving Mathematical Problems - Article Example The research study has applied multiple regression analysis to evaluate the predictive ability of the identified variables so as to tabulate the performance for the routine and non-routine calculus problems. The study has significantly found that problem solving skill is acquired through practice and utilization of thinking strategies which is the corner stone on which advanced mathematical ideas, particularly calculus is built upon. The study has also revealed that there are six meaningful predictive factors for calculus related to performance in problem solving. The variable of Strategy is the major projection followed by Accommodation, Self-efficacy, Definition, Exploration and Execution. Nevertheless, the variables with the highest practical importance are Accommodation and Self-Efficacy. With these findings, educators will be able to clinically evaluate a person's ability to regulate, monitor and control his/her own cognitive processes. Instructional strategies can be developed for individuals having difficulty with the learning environment. The purpose of this study is to develop an instrument to adequately identify metacognitive strategies utilized by individuals' in the processes of solving mathematical problems. A cognitive process whether it is regular or irregular, conscious ... This is based on the hypothesis that a problem solver needs to be aware of the current activity regarding the overall goal along with the strategies used to attain that goal. It is well established that successful students possess powerful strategies for dealing with problems in order to arrive at novel solutions. Background Information on the Problem The metacognitive awareness merges itself by adjusting and recognizing the expansive bank of multiple metacognitive experiences. This has been previously described by Flavell (1976) as being a conscious cognitive or affective experience that accompanies our actions by dispensing to an intellectual enterprise. Thus, metacognition involves the "active monitoring and consequent regulation and orchestration" of cognitive course in order to achieve cognitive goals (Flavell 1976:p. 252). Review of Literature Kluwe (1982) has expanded on Flavell's theory of metacognition by shedding new light on the previously established empirical concept. He has identified two general attributes common to thinking procedures which are known as 'metacognitive'. Both attributes identified by Kluwe have to do with the person who exercises metacognitive thinking. The first postulates that "the thinking subject has some knowledge about his own thinking and that of other persons," while the second professes that "the thinking subject may monitor and regulate the course of his own thinking, i.e., may act as the causal agent of his own thinking" (1982, p. 202).Drawing from that, all processes seek to adapt and regulate a multitude of solutions actively. Research Question(s) Statement of the Problem Creation of Essential Question The concept of metacognition and thinking practices was first echoed by Rickard (1995) and

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Research Paper Example Individual beliefs and perceptions have a significant influence on their health. Research studies and works in this direction have proved that these beliefs affect individual behaviour in terms of their eating habits, medication routine or following their doctors’ instructions. Such behavioural aspects also have a strong impact on the individual’s physiological system and its effects on the immune system or cardiovascular systems. Research evidence has also supported the belief that the patient’s health conditions are also influenced by the beliefs and perceptions of the health professionals. The health professionals’ belief impacts the nature of treatment adopted and the way it impacts the patient’s own perception on his health condition and subsequent health behaviour (Broome and Llewelyn, 1995). The theoretical approaches and research findings over the decades have sought to explain the impact of such variables on individual health behaviour and the extent to which it predicts health outcomes. Different models have sought to explain health related behaviours and among these models the locus of control has been the focus of much research. The locus of control refers to â€Å"the degree to which individuals perceive events in their lives as being a consequence of their own actions, and thereby controllable (internal control), or as being unrelated to their own behaviour, and therefore beyond personal control (external control)† (Bahar, 1988, p45). The work on health locus of control (HLOC) has been inspired by Rotter who conceptualized the measurement scale to evaluate individual behaviour or expectancy in different dimensions. These dimensions include internality, powerful others and chance (Broome and Llewelyn, 1995). The internal HLOC relates to the individual belief that their health outcomes is attached to their health behaviour and hence it can be controlled, powerful others HLOC indicates that individual health is dependent on the behaviour of